Verzuz creator Timbaland stimulates new musicians with Beatclub

LOS ANGELES – Timbaland has blazed his own path as a successful producer for elite artists like Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z, but now he’s creating a path for budding music creators to collaborate with top performers. Of the industry.

While his successful Verzuz series with Swizz Beatz remains popular, Timbaland is embarking on a new venture called Beatclub, an online beats marketplace. It is a digital platform for music creators to connect with musicians, producers, songwriters, music publishers and record labels.

Through Beatclub, Timbaland seeks to become a link between the unknown and the well-known.

“I know what it’s like to be a kid sitting in a room, I don’t know if you’re talented. The way this world is changing, how are these kids making their music heard, ”said Timbaland, a Grammy-winning producer and songwriter who has worked with Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Rihanna, Madonna, Drake and more .

“This platform is a place where creators can communicate,” he continues. “I am the master of the ship. But guess what, if you own a ship you can connect with me and you get better. I can show you a Lil Durk or a Lil Baby and tell them to watch out for that guy or that girl and give that person a chance. It could be their biggest dream.

Beatclub expects to be officially launched later this year, but several top musicians and producers like J. Cole, Mike WiLL Made-It, Mike Dean, Tainy and Scott Storch have joined.

Justin Timberlake told The Associated Press on Monday that he is also joining the Beatclub. The singer said he is currently working with Timbaland and Beatclub on his next album.

“When Tim told me about the Beatclub, the concept behind it, I thought it was a great and brilliant idea,” said Timberlake, who won three Grammys with Timbaland for “Sexy Back,” “LoveStoned / I Think She Knows “and” Pusher Lover Girl. The duo have collaborated on five of Timberlake’s studio albums.

Timberlake said in a video first posted to AP that the platform could be a way for creatives to connect, communicate and share music without being in the same room.

“For people to have access to this kind of technology and platform where you can share things, I find that really inspiring,” he said. “It makes me excited to collaborate with people I’ve never even met. Even the stuff we’re working on right now with my record is Beatclub. It’s Tim who brings the people he found on this platform and brings them to me.

Timbaland predicted that Beatclub will be extremely rewarding and educational for members, who can retain all of their musical rights and income, set their own pricing terms, and keep their publishing royalties. The platform will not take any additional income from subscribers.

“You learn financial literacy,” he said. “You get to know the wealth and control the money and the business. It’s your own business. It’s a place where their tools are valued when they think they aren’t.

Beatclub was named after Timbaland’s record label Beat Club, which launched rapper Bubba Sparxxx’s career nearly two decades ago. The label eventually closed, but Timbaland had a revelation one night to keep the name alive but with a different approach.

After waking up, Timbaland immediately called his business partner Gary Marella – who worked with him on Verzuz – to tell him about his idea for the new digital platform. He felt encouraged to pursue the idea of ​​the Beatclub after the success of the Verzuz series, in which two musicians clash in a song-to-song battle.

The series was acquired by Triller earlier this year. He’s gone from Instagram Live to face-to-face battles in front of an audience, and could make his way to touring space, the producer said.

Timbaland said Verzuz improved his business acumen as the pandemic reprogrammed his self-awareness.

“Verzuz helped me go back to my past,” he said. “It helped me with my relationship skills and how to deal with people without getting emotional and stopping being selfish. It taught me to think of both parties, of my business, and to find a solution. You see that there is a problem, but what is the solution.

Marella said he immediately accepted the idea of ​​the Beatclub when Timbaland called him.

“I think the world was a little ready for that,” said Marella, who helped strike a deal between the Beatclub and the National Hockey League to provide personalized music for top league games like the Cup. Stanley. The platform has also partnered with IBM on the company’s mentoring program for startups to deliver data protection, privacy and security solutions.

“There are a few other people in this space like Splice and BeatStars that I cannot ignore and who have been groundbreaking, forward thinking and disrupting the business in terms of beats licensing,” he continued. “But what better person to open the door than Timbaland. He is leading the way for all these top producers, songwriters and even artists, telling them that this is the future of the business.

Timbaland calls this period of his life a rebirth after battling drug addiction, divorce, excess weight and poor health a few years ago. But now he’s focused on his next phase again after losing over 100 pounds with new focus on his entrepreneurial endeavors.

“I was re-evaluating everything that was put into my life,” he said. “But I’m still a con artist. I’m still a pivot guy. … It’s about working smarter, not harder. This is how I pivot.